November 1, 2024 - Dolleys and Jackies Historian Notes

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Submitted by Mary Kremkau, Jackie’s Historian - November 1, 2024 Historian Notes

Speaker Randy Jones:

Randy Jones, great grandson of Julius Arthur Dosher, presented the 3 chapter Vintage Ladies with the history of the Dosher family as well as the beginning of Dosher Hospital. Dosher Hospital was first named Brunswick Hospital
and  the only hospital in Brunswick County until it was renamed Dosher Hospital in 1929/30. It is a community hospital supported from local taxes.

Lynda Stanley, Dosher’s current CEO President, had been a part of Dosher Hospital and its functions for 39 years before she was named their President.  She also addressed our Vintage Ladies and emphasized the hospital’s importance to our community and its reliance on community taxes and dollars to finance its growth.   The Hospital’s 60 million dollar growth project Includes improving hospital quality by 1)expanding additional medical sites on Oak Island, and on Long Beach Rd facilities, 3) building a new emergency room, and 4)recruiting new medical practitioners to the Hospital. The Hospital also offers tours of its facilities to show community residents the many inpatient and outpatient services provided by the Hospital. Dosher has 25 beds in addition to the outpatient services.  The Jackies October meet and greet meeting at the Southport Presbyterian Church was lots of fun. We met new members as we designed and made our own jewelry from hand-made ceramic beads made by women from Kenya. Proceeds then support The Amani Children’s Foundation in Kenya.  

Submitted by Mary Kremkau, Jackie’s Historian

"Amani Bead Presentation and Meet and Greet"

 The Jackies October meet and greet meeting at the Southport Presbyterian Church was lots of fun. We met new members as we designed and made our own jewelry from hand-made ceramic beads made by women from Kenya. Proceeds then support The Amani Children’s Foundation in Kenya.  

Submitted by Rina DiMao, Dolleys Historian

"Cape Fear Museum Private Tour"

 10 a.m., 814 Market Street, Wilmington

Attendance by Dolleys’ members: 15

SUMMARY:

Speaker: Amy Thornton, Museum Manager

Wilmington was one of the nine ports of the Civil War, and it was the last to fall. The presence of the

railroad was important because shipping merchandise could be unloaded and shipped by rail to the rest of

the country.  The draw to Wilmington was Longleaf Pines, which was the source of tar and pitch for the naval stores.

Ft. Fisher was the largest land/sea battle of the war. In January 1865 Wilmington fell. Three months later

the war was over.  At the end of 1865 Wilmington had a black majority (>50%), and there was a lot of opportunity for black  residents. Wilmington had the first known daily black newsletter, The Daily Record.  In the 1890s there were white supremacist demonstrations.  The 1898 massacre preceded the only coup of an elected government in NC. The Jim Crow laws initiated  60 years of legal discrimination. It took 70 years to have the next black elected officials.  In the 20 th century, newer economies were developed: education, medicine, leisure. World Wars I and II  brought increased prosperity to the port city.  Amy reminded us that the water is always a draw, and Wilmington is no exception.

Tour ended at 11:15

Most of the ladies went to lunch at Indochine at 12 p.m.

Note: The state has announced that the new visitor center at the Fort Fisher State Historic Site will open to

the public by the end of October.

Cape Fear Docent, Amy Thornton recommends the book Wilmington’s Lie.

Submitted by Rina DiMao, Dolleys Historian

The meeting was opened by Executive Chair Julie Wilkinson. Julie reported the yearbook will be available at the October meeting.

Pat Dashiell, Membership Chair, reported there are currently 49 Abbies, 48 Dolleys and 48 Jackies.

Brenda Wityk, Communications Chair, read a poem she authored entitled “Circle of Friendship.”

SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION:

Speaker: Jean Heller, Author

Program Title: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Ms. Heller was an investigative reporter for numerous newspapers, an author, and an eight-time Pulitzer Prize

nominee.  As an investigative reporter in 1972, Ms. Heller was given some letters referencing a study which

came to be known as Tuskegee Syphilis Study.  The study started in 1932 and continued for four decades. The United States Public Health  Service (“PHS”) started studying the largest group of black men with syphilis. The object was to let these men die and to subsequently observe the “differences” in how syphilis affects black men versus white men. Approximately 125 black men died during the study, and it is unknown how many relatives of these men died as well.  The men were promised incentives to join the study, such as free health care (which they did not receive) and free burials. They were paraded

around the town in fancy cars, and received “certificates of appreciation.” They were regularly given spinal taps with no anesthesia.  These men did not know their syphilis was going untreated and they could/would eventually die.

It is through Ms. Heller’s investigative work that this study came to light, and that any living men or relatives received compensation. The fact that patients must sign an “informed consent” before procedures also stemmed from her work.

There were no repercussions for the doctors who let the men die. There were many questions from the audience, most specifically about “How can this have gone on so long? How weren’t citizens aware of this?” Ms. Heller replied that nobody was making attempts to hide the study; it was that people didn’t really care what was happening to these black men.